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LGHL Celeste Taylor selected by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Draft
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Celeste Taylor selected by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Draft
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The former Buckeye transfer moved to the professional ranks Monday night in New York City
After the end of the 22/23 season, guard Celeste Taylor traded in Duke Blue Devils blue for the scarlet and gray of Ohio State women’s basketball. In one season, Taylor completed an impressive five-year NCAA career. On Monday night, she moved on to the pros, being selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 15 pick.
With Taylor’s selection, she becomes the 19th Buckeye chosen in a WNBA college draft. Also, with former teammate, guard Jacy Sheldon, coming off the board earlier in the night, becomes the third pair in program history selected in the same draft.
Initially recruited by head coach Kevin McGuff out of high school, Taylor opted to go to the University of Texas, followed by a two-year spell with the Duke Blue Devils, before coming to Ohio State.
After winning the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award in her final year at Duke, Taylor continued the trend by earning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honor. In one season with the Buckeyes, Taylor led the conference in defensive rating (82.4), steals (80) and steals per game (2.8).
All of that bodes well for a league that benefits those who can defend, but feedback received about Taylor from coaches and scouts is on the offensive side of the ball.
Taylor averaged 10.8 points in her NCAA career, but showed improvement year-over-year. The 23/24 season is a good representation of that growth. In 32 games, Taylor had her best shooting percentage as a college player, hitting 40.9% of her shots.
Look into the lone season with the Buckeyes and Taylor started off slow, offensively. While still learning the system, Taylor averaged 7.3 points per game up until Dec. 22. Then, in the final 22 games of the season, Taylor increased her scoring to 11.6 points per game, and added deep shooting to the mix, hitting 1.6 shots from beyond the arc per game.
That offensive work continued after the season, with hopes of making one of the 12 WNBA rosters, which isn’t easy to accomplish. Each team only has room for 12 players.
If a player doesn’t make their drafted team though, it’s not the end of their WNBA careers. Each season, draftees don’t make their teams, get waived and then picked up by another side.
Last season, the Indiana Fever selected another Buckeye, shooting guard Taylor Mikesell, with the first pick of the second round. Mikesell didn’t make the Fever out of training camp, but got signed by the Atlanta Dream off the waiver wire. Mikesell had six appearances for the Dream, averaging 4.8 minutes per appearance before being waived by Atlanta.
The duo of Sheldon and Taylor are the third pair of Buckeyes to get drafted in the same year and the first time since 2018. That was when guard Kelsey Mitchell and forward Stephanie Mavunga were taken off the board.
Taylor joins No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark in Indiana. It’s also the second season in a row that a Buckeye was drafted by the Fever. Last year, guard Taylor Mikesell went to the Fever with the first pick in the second round.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The former Buckeye transfer moved to the professional ranks Monday night in New York City
After the end of the 22/23 season, guard Celeste Taylor traded in Duke Blue Devils blue for the scarlet and gray of Ohio State women’s basketball. In one season, Taylor completed an impressive five-year NCAA career. On Monday night, she moved on to the pros, being selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 15 pick.
With Taylor’s selection, she becomes the 19th Buckeye chosen in a WNBA college draft. Also, with former teammate, guard Jacy Sheldon, coming off the board earlier in the night, becomes the third pair in program history selected in the same draft.
Initially recruited by head coach Kevin McGuff out of high school, Taylor opted to go to the University of Texas, followed by a two-year spell with the Duke Blue Devils, before coming to Ohio State.
After winning the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award in her final year at Duke, Taylor continued the trend by earning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honor. In one season with the Buckeyes, Taylor led the conference in defensive rating (82.4), steals (80) and steals per game (2.8).
All of that bodes well for a league that benefits those who can defend, but feedback received about Taylor from coaches and scouts is on the offensive side of the ball.
Taylor averaged 10.8 points in her NCAA career, but showed improvement year-over-year. The 23/24 season is a good representation of that growth. In 32 games, Taylor had her best shooting percentage as a college player, hitting 40.9% of her shots.
Look into the lone season with the Buckeyes and Taylor started off slow, offensively. While still learning the system, Taylor averaged 7.3 points per game up until Dec. 22. Then, in the final 22 games of the season, Taylor increased her scoring to 11.6 points per game, and added deep shooting to the mix, hitting 1.6 shots from beyond the arc per game.
That offensive work continued after the season, with hopes of making one of the 12 WNBA rosters, which isn’t easy to accomplish. Each team only has room for 12 players.
If a player doesn’t make their drafted team though, it’s not the end of their WNBA careers. Each season, draftees don’t make their teams, get waived and then picked up by another side.
Last season, the Indiana Fever selected another Buckeye, shooting guard Taylor Mikesell, with the first pick of the second round. Mikesell didn’t make the Fever out of training camp, but got signed by the Atlanta Dream off the waiver wire. Mikesell had six appearances for the Dream, averaging 4.8 minutes per appearance before being waived by Atlanta.
The duo of Sheldon and Taylor are the third pair of Buckeyes to get drafted in the same year and the first time since 2018. That was when guard Kelsey Mitchell and forward Stephanie Mavunga were taken off the board.
Taylor joins No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark in Indiana. It’s also the second season in a row that a Buckeye was drafted by the Fever. Last year, guard Taylor Mikesell went to the Fever with the first pick in the second round.
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LGHL Former Kentucky forward Ajae Petty transfers to Ohio State
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Former Kentucky forward Ajae Petty transfers to Ohio State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
The Kentucky Wildcat who averaged a double-double joins the Buckeyes for her last season of eligibility
On Sunday, Ohio State women’s basketball added its first transfer of the portal season. Guard Chance Gray, out of the Oregon Ducks, joined the Buckeyes to help fill gaps in perimeter shooting left by graduating seniors. Now, head coach Kevin McGuff has added another name to address a key area of concern for Ohio State, as former Kentucky Wildcats forward Ajae Petty announced on Monday that she would be joining the Buckeyes.
It took a while for Petty to make a substantial impact at the collegiate level, but last season she delivered. In the forward’s first four years in college basketball, she split it with two years as an LSU Tiger and two seasons in Kentucky.
In her first three seasons, Petty had 60 appearances, but no starts, across the two SEC sides. In those appearances, Petty averaged 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds with an average of 10 minutes played per game. Last year though, Petty finally got the chance to start and she made the best of it.
Starting all 32 games for the Wildcats, Petty had a career season. The forward averaged 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds for the struggling Kentucky side. In those 32 games were 18 double-double performances, ending the season third in the conference in rebounds (339) and rebounds per game.
Now, Petty joins an Ohio State side that has struggled to grab missed shots for the last four seasons. Each year, the Buckeyes ended the season with a negative rebounding differential, and no year was worse than the 2023-24 season. The Scarlet and Gray ended the year with a -2.4 rebounding differential, good for the second-worst mark in the conference. It especially hurt Ohio State in the postseason.
Against the Maryland Terrapins, in the Buckeyes’ lone game of the Big Ten Tournament, the Terrapins outrebounded Ohio State 55-31 in an 82-61 lopsided Maryland win. Then, in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, the Duke Blue Devils held the Scarlet and Gray to only 20 rebounds, grabbing 18 more than the No. 2 seed.
Adding Petty helps lessen that rebounding gap to Ohio State’s opponents. The graduate senior joins senior Taylor Thierry, junior Cotie McMahon, and sophomore center Faith Carson in the group of forwards. Also, Eboni Walker might have an extra year of eligibility due to an injury sustained in the 2021-22 season when she played for the Syracuse Orange, but McGuff and company are still waiting on a ruling from the NCAA.
The Buckeyes also have a group of incoming freshmen which includes forwards Ella Hobbs and Elsa Lemmila. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-6 respectively, they add to an OSU post presence that’s more formidable than in years past.
The transfer portal will remain open until May 1, giving McGuff more time to add names to the Buckeyes roster. With Petty, Ohio State is up to 13 players on its 2024-25 roster, with a few potential spots yet to fill.
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ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
The Kentucky Wildcat who averaged a double-double joins the Buckeyes for her last season of eligibility
On Sunday, Ohio State women’s basketball added its first transfer of the portal season. Guard Chance Gray, out of the Oregon Ducks, joined the Buckeyes to help fill gaps in perimeter shooting left by graduating seniors. Now, head coach Kevin McGuff has added another name to address a key area of concern for Ohio State, as former Kentucky Wildcats forward Ajae Petty announced on Monday that she would be joining the Buckeyes.
It took a while for Petty to make a substantial impact at the collegiate level, but last season she delivered. In the forward’s first four years in college basketball, she split it with two years as an LSU Tiger and two seasons in Kentucky.
In her first three seasons, Petty had 60 appearances, but no starts, across the two SEC sides. In those appearances, Petty averaged 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds with an average of 10 minutes played per game. Last year though, Petty finally got the chance to start and she made the best of it.
Starting all 32 games for the Wildcats, Petty had a career season. The forward averaged 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds for the struggling Kentucky side. In those 32 games were 18 double-double performances, ending the season third in the conference in rebounds (339) and rebounds per game.
Now, Petty joins an Ohio State side that has struggled to grab missed shots for the last four seasons. Each year, the Buckeyes ended the season with a negative rebounding differential, and no year was worse than the 2023-24 season. The Scarlet and Gray ended the year with a -2.4 rebounding differential, good for the second-worst mark in the conference. It especially hurt Ohio State in the postseason.
Against the Maryland Terrapins, in the Buckeyes’ lone game of the Big Ten Tournament, the Terrapins outrebounded Ohio State 55-31 in an 82-61 lopsided Maryland win. Then, in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, the Duke Blue Devils held the Scarlet and Gray to only 20 rebounds, grabbing 18 more than the No. 2 seed.
Adding Petty helps lessen that rebounding gap to Ohio State’s opponents. The graduate senior joins senior Taylor Thierry, junior Cotie McMahon, and sophomore center Faith Carson in the group of forwards. Also, Eboni Walker might have an extra year of eligibility due to an injury sustained in the 2021-22 season when she played for the Syracuse Orange, but McGuff and company are still waiting on a ruling from the NCAA.
The Buckeyes also have a group of incoming freshmen which includes forwards Ella Hobbs and Elsa Lemmila. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-6 respectively, they add to an OSU post presence that’s more formidable than in years past.
The transfer portal will remain open until May 1, giving McGuff more time to add names to the Buckeyes roster. With Petty, Ohio State is up to 13 players on its 2024-25 roster, with a few potential spots yet to fill.
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LGHL 2024 Ohio State Spring Game: Three pleasant surprises
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2024 Ohio State Spring Game: Three pleasant surprises
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Here are a few things that stood out from Saturday’s Spring Game.
The annual Ohio State Spring Game has come and gone. Team Scarlet nipped Team Gray, 34-33, in front of a crowd of 80,012 at the Horseshoe. However, since the Spring Game isn’t really a football game these days, the score and winning side is almost immaterial — except that all wholesome, correct-thinking individuals will always root for Team Scarlet, but I digress.
As always, there were plenty of talking points, and here are three of the things that stood out to me on Saturday.
It was interesting to see a running game emerge during the Spring Game. With many players considered “down” when touched — or even just at the threat of it happening — it’s unusual for the running backs to stand out, but that’s what happened on Saturday, as the final tally was 243 rushing yards. That’s pretty good when most players don’t have the option to break tackles and gain extra yards after contact (although some did, as it was a mixture of live action and “thud tempo”).
There was good jump in the legs of both presumed starters, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, but they weren’t the only ones who looked good. With Dallan Hayden moving on, I was interested in seeing what the Buckeyes have behind Henderson and Judkins, and I wasn’t disappointed.
James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon showed their skills, and the Buckeyes look like they’ll be OK in the depth department this season. Peoples ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, but he always looked threatening in an if-this-game-was-for-real-things-might-be-different kind of way. Williams-Dixon did even better, running for 75 yards and a score on 11 attempts.
Both players look like they’ll be able to help out if needed in 2024. Plus, TC Caffey looks healthy again.
It wasn’t lost on me that the quarterbacks combined for 46 of those rushing yards, and I expect we’ll see more quarterback running in 2024 than we have over the past several seasons.
Linebackers CJ Hicks and Sonny Styles tallied a combined 14 tackles in the Spring Game, and it seemed like more. Both guys were around the ball a lot, with Hicks finishing with eight stops and Styles ending the day with six.
There will be snaps for new faces at linebacker in 2024, and it’s a good look for Hicks and Styles to contribute. Sure, it’s just the Spring Game, but it’s still good to see them stepping up with Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers departing.
Speaking of linebackers, Mitchell Melton also flashed in this game. Can this guy just stay healthy for a season — please? I’m interested to know what a season with a completely healthy Melton looks like.
It wasn’t exactly surprising that Ohio State’s secondary was good on Saturday. The defensive backs were up against opposing quarterbacks that were either inexperienced, new to the program, or both. But they were also competing against an insanely talented wide receivers group, and it seemed like everyone was making plays.
Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Inky Jones, Jaylen McClain, and Dianté Griffin all got their hands on an interception on Saturday. Jones was everywhere, finishing with seven tackles, while freshman cornerback Aaron Scott made six stops. Veteran Davison Igbinosun had terrific blanket coverage for most of his snaps, too.
One can never put too much stock in Spring Game performances, but that’s all the live Ohio State football we get until the fall, so it’s still worth watching.
Which players impressed you?
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Here are a few things that stood out from Saturday’s Spring Game.
The annual Ohio State Spring Game has come and gone. Team Scarlet nipped Team Gray, 34-33, in front of a crowd of 80,012 at the Horseshoe. However, since the Spring Game isn’t really a football game these days, the score and winning side is almost immaterial — except that all wholesome, correct-thinking individuals will always root for Team Scarlet, but I digress.
As always, there were plenty of talking points, and here are three of the things that stood out to me on Saturday.
Running Back Depth
It was interesting to see a running game emerge during the Spring Game. With many players considered “down” when touched — or even just at the threat of it happening — it’s unusual for the running backs to stand out, but that’s what happened on Saturday, as the final tally was 243 rushing yards. That’s pretty good when most players don’t have the option to break tackles and gain extra yards after contact (although some did, as it was a mixture of live action and “thud tempo”).
There was good jump in the legs of both presumed starters, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, but they weren’t the only ones who looked good. With Dallan Hayden moving on, I was interested in seeing what the Buckeyes have behind Henderson and Judkins, and I wasn’t disappointed.
James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon showed their skills, and the Buckeyes look like they’ll be OK in the depth department this season. Peoples ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, but he always looked threatening in an if-this-game-was-for-real-things-might-be-different kind of way. Williams-Dixon did even better, running for 75 yards and a score on 11 attempts.
Both players look like they’ll be able to help out if needed in 2024. Plus, TC Caffey looks healthy again.
It wasn’t lost on me that the quarterbacks combined for 46 of those rushing yards, and I expect we’ll see more quarterback running in 2024 than we have over the past several seasons.
Hicks, Styles Looked the Part
Linebackers CJ Hicks and Sonny Styles tallied a combined 14 tackles in the Spring Game, and it seemed like more. Both guys were around the ball a lot, with Hicks finishing with eight stops and Styles ending the day with six.
There will be snaps for new faces at linebacker in 2024, and it’s a good look for Hicks and Styles to contribute. Sure, it’s just the Spring Game, but it’s still good to see them stepping up with Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers departing.
Speaking of linebackers, Mitchell Melton also flashed in this game. Can this guy just stay healthy for a season — please? I’m interested to know what a season with a completely healthy Melton looks like.
One Serious Secondary
It wasn’t exactly surprising that Ohio State’s secondary was good on Saturday. The defensive backs were up against opposing quarterbacks that were either inexperienced, new to the program, or both. But they were also competing against an insanely talented wide receivers group, and it seemed like everyone was making plays.
Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Inky Jones, Jaylen McClain, and Dianté Griffin all got their hands on an interception on Saturday. Jones was everywhere, finishing with seven tackles, while freshman cornerback Aaron Scott made six stops. Veteran Davison Igbinosun had terrific blanket coverage for most of his snaps, too.
One can never put too much stock in Spring Game performances, but that’s all the live Ohio State football we get until the fall, so it’s still worth watching.
Which players impressed you?
Continue reading...
C Aaron Bradshaw (Official Thread)
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- Buckeye Basketball
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Aaron Bradshaw, Kentucky Wildcats, Center (BK)
Aaron Bradshaw is a 7-0, 207-pound Center from Roselle, NJ.
247sports.com
Aaron Bradshaw
Aaron Bradshaw was viewed as the top center prospect in the national class of 2023. He was 7-feet plus, mobile, and athletic with good hands, a soft touch that extended out to the three-point line, and shot-blocking ability. Production didn’t always live up to his potential though, with his motor and physicality both being clear works-in-progress during his high school years.It was more of the same this year at Kentucky, especially after his transition to the college game was impeded by an injury that cost him the first few weeks of the season. While he made an immediate impact upon returning in early December, he saw his role diminish as the season went on. He finished the season averaging just 4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 13.8 minutes per night.
While there is unfortunately now a pattern of underachieving, what is debatable is how much of that is contextual, after playing on teams built around DJ Wagner throughout high school. What remains undeniable is that Bradshaw’s ceiling remains high if he ever fully commits himself to maximizing his potential. There just aren’t many seven-footers who can space the floor vertically and with their shooting while simultaneously being able to protect the rim and move their feet laterally.
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LGHL BOOM! Kentucky transfer, former five-star recruit Aaron Bradshaw will transfer to Ohio State
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BOOM! Kentucky transfer, former five-star recruit Aaron Bradshaw will transfer to Ohio State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
The rising sophomore averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for Kentucky last season.
Let Jake Diebler cook.
On Monday afternoon, Ohio State landed a commitment from Aaron Bradshaw, a 7-foot-1, 225-pound center who is a rising sophomore and played sparingly at Kentucky during his freshman season. Bradshaw averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game last season while playing just under 14 minutes per game. He shot 57.6% overall, but only took 3.3 shot attempts per game.
He visited Ohio State this past weekend, April 13-14. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Bradshaw committed to Diebler and the Buckeyes while on his visit.
Per 247Sports, Bradshaw was the No. 4 overall player and a consensus five-star recruit in the class of 2023. He was the top center in the class and the top player in the state of New Jersey, just ahead of high school (Camden) and Kentucky teammate DJ Wagner. News broke on April 7 that UK head coach John Calipari was leaving Kentucky after 15 seasons to take the same job at Arkansas. By the next day, Bradshaw had opted to transfer.
Bradshaw’s best performance of the season was a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double against Penn on December 9. Both marks were career-highs for the freshman, whose role dwindled over the final nine games of the season. From February 17 onward, Bradshaw averaged just 5.6 minutes per game, and only played four minutes in Kentucky’s 80-76 loss to Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The talented freshman was expected to be a key rotation piece for the Wildcats, but sustained a foot fracture in late June, which took over five months to fully heal. He missed the entire pre-season as well as the first seven games of the regular season, and once he returned, a good chunk of the minutes at center went to Ugonna Onyenso, Zvonimir Ivišić, and Tre Mitchell.
Bradshaw was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on January 8, following a win over Florida where he scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, had two steals, and blocked one shot. He scored all 10 points in the final 9:05 of the game.
Aside from the fact that Bradshaw is perhaps the most talented center — from a pure skills standpoint — to don the scarlet and gray since Greg Oden, the big question is how Bradshaw fits with the current roster. Felix Okpara — Ohio State’s starting center this past season — announced he was coming back on April 1. Zed Key, who was the primary backup at center, transferred to Dayton on Monday morning. Rising sophomore Austin Parks, a 6-foot-10, 250 pound big man who was also pursued by Illinois and Michigan State, has not entered the transfer portal or given any indication that he will do so.
So where does Bradshaw fit in? With his talent, it’s unlikely that he would opt to go somewhere that couldn’t give him plenty of minutes. At the same time, Okpara may not have come back if he knew that he would be relegated to the bench, especially after playing the best basketball of his career at the end of the season.
While Bradshaw is taller than Okpara by two inches, he has not shown the same shot-blocking prowess in high school or at Kentucky that Okpara — who was second in the Big Ten in blocks this season — already has. Okpara also finished 14th in rebounds in the Big Ten this season, despite playing just 24 minutes per game.
Okpara has not and may never develop an outside shot, nor does the ball wind up in his hands very often other than below the basket. Bradshaw, on the other hand, was touted as a big who can stretch the floor coming out of Camden High School, as well as a player who can handle the ball reasonably well. He only took 14 three-point attempts as a freshman at Kentucky and hit four of them (28.6%), but scouting reports in high school described him as someone who can shoot from range and move his feet on the perimeter.
Without hearing it directly from Diebler, it sure looks like the first-year head coach is scheming up a way to play both bigs at the same time, with Austin Parks waiting in reserve. Chris Holtmann tried this at times with Okpara and Key, but Bradshaw has the mobility and shooting potential that Key did not, which makes a “twin towers” lineup more feasible with Bradshaw. Even if Bradshaw doesn’t start right away, he will easily play more than the 13.7 minutes per game he played at Kentucky last season.
With the addition of Bradshaw, Ohio State now has two scholarships remaining. They will likely add another guard, and a wing who can be plugged in to play at forward alongside Devin Royal or Evan Mahaffey.
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
The rising sophomore averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for Kentucky last season.
Let Jake Diebler cook.
On Monday afternoon, Ohio State landed a commitment from Aaron Bradshaw, a 7-foot-1, 225-pound center who is a rising sophomore and played sparingly at Kentucky during his freshman season. Bradshaw averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game last season while playing just under 14 minutes per game. He shot 57.6% overall, but only took 3.3 shot attempts per game.
He visited Ohio State this past weekend, April 13-14. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Bradshaw committed to Diebler and the Buckeyes while on his visit.
Per 247Sports, Bradshaw was the No. 4 overall player and a consensus five-star recruit in the class of 2023. He was the top center in the class and the top player in the state of New Jersey, just ahead of high school (Camden) and Kentucky teammate DJ Wagner. News broke on April 7 that UK head coach John Calipari was leaving Kentucky after 15 seasons to take the same job at Arkansas. By the next day, Bradshaw had opted to transfer.
Bradshaw’s best performance of the season was a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double against Penn on December 9. Both marks were career-highs for the freshman, whose role dwindled over the final nine games of the season. From February 17 onward, Bradshaw averaged just 5.6 minutes per game, and only played four minutes in Kentucky’s 80-76 loss to Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The talented freshman was expected to be a key rotation piece for the Wildcats, but sustained a foot fracture in late June, which took over five months to fully heal. He missed the entire pre-season as well as the first seven games of the regular season, and once he returned, a good chunk of the minutes at center went to Ugonna Onyenso, Zvonimir Ivišić, and Tre Mitchell.
Bradshaw was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on January 8, following a win over Florida where he scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds, had two steals, and blocked one shot. He scored all 10 points in the final 9:05 of the game.
The Fit
Aside from the fact that Bradshaw is perhaps the most talented center — from a pure skills standpoint — to don the scarlet and gray since Greg Oden, the big question is how Bradshaw fits with the current roster. Felix Okpara — Ohio State’s starting center this past season — announced he was coming back on April 1. Zed Key, who was the primary backup at center, transferred to Dayton on Monday morning. Rising sophomore Austin Parks, a 6-foot-10, 250 pound big man who was also pursued by Illinois and Michigan State, has not entered the transfer portal or given any indication that he will do so.
So where does Bradshaw fit in? With his talent, it’s unlikely that he would opt to go somewhere that couldn’t give him plenty of minutes. At the same time, Okpara may not have come back if he knew that he would be relegated to the bench, especially after playing the best basketball of his career at the end of the season.
While Bradshaw is taller than Okpara by two inches, he has not shown the same shot-blocking prowess in high school or at Kentucky that Okpara — who was second in the Big Ten in blocks this season — already has. Okpara also finished 14th in rebounds in the Big Ten this season, despite playing just 24 minutes per game.
Okpara has not and may never develop an outside shot, nor does the ball wind up in his hands very often other than below the basket. Bradshaw, on the other hand, was touted as a big who can stretch the floor coming out of Camden High School, as well as a player who can handle the ball reasonably well. He only took 14 three-point attempts as a freshman at Kentucky and hit four of them (28.6%), but scouting reports in high school described him as someone who can shoot from range and move his feet on the perimeter.
Without hearing it directly from Diebler, it sure looks like the first-year head coach is scheming up a way to play both bigs at the same time, with Austin Parks waiting in reserve. Chris Holtmann tried this at times with Okpara and Key, but Bradshaw has the mobility and shooting potential that Key did not, which makes a “twin towers” lineup more feasible with Bradshaw. Even if Bradshaw doesn’t start right away, he will easily play more than the 13.7 minutes per game he played at Kentucky last season.
With the addition of Bradshaw, Ohio State now has two scholarships remaining. They will likely add another guard, and a wing who can be plugged in to play at forward alongside Devin Royal or Evan Mahaffey.
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